Xu Chenghao stared at him, carefully discerning his expression, “Are you hiding something from me?”
Jing Yicheng: “…”
Xu Chenghao pressed, “What are you hiding from me? Why did you say you were wrong? What did you do wrong?”
Jing Yicheng: “…”
Xu Chenghao’s thoughts turned in his mind, immediately lowered his head to inspect the little yellow duck carefully, and after a thorough examination, he finally noticed something wrong, “Why is the chili seedling bent?”
Jing Yicheng: “…Pressed by a wine glass.”
Xu Chenghao glared at him, “How did it get pressed?”
Jing Yicheng could only confess honestly when faced with this, using his hands to gesture, “I was holding Little Yellow Duck like this, and she was holding a wine glass. Suddenly it fell, the wine spilled all over me, and the glass happened to fall on the chili seedling… I really picked it up quickly, but the impact of the falling glass was a bit strong, and it got bent.”
After Xu Chenghao checked the root system and confirmed that the chili seedling had no damage, he just breathed a sigh of relief when he heard a loud and unmistakable impact sound from inside the room.
Xu Chenghao: “!!!”
He forcefully pushed Jing Yicheng aside and entered the compartment. When he saw Zhuo Meixue lying on the ground, he could hardly believe his eyes. Zhuo Meixue, who had just been splendid at the banquet, was now lying in a mess on the ground, tightly hugging a wine bottle and knocking it against the floor. When she saw him, she muttered, “Save me…”
Xu Chenghao snapped back to reality, quickly pulled off his coat and covered Zhuo Meixue with it. He stood up and said, “Jing Yicheng, you lied to me!”
Jing Yicheng stood silently behind him, not uttering a word.
Xu Chenghao: “Okay, I don’t want to talk too much with you right now. Take her to the hospital for treatment, and make sure nothing goes wrong!”
Jing Yicheng glanced at his assistant, who, upon receiving instructions, immediately packed up and lifted Zhuo Meixue, saying, “Mr. Xu, rest assured, I will take her for treatment right away.”
Xu Chenghao was a bit uneasy and wanted to follow, but Jing Yicheng reached out to stop his steps, saying, “Where are you going?”
Xu Chenghao: “I’m going to go with them to take a look.”
Jing Yicheng calmly said, “There’s nothing to see. She just broke two legs.”
Xu Chenghao looked at him incredulously: “And you still have the nerve to say that? What were you telling me just now?”
Jing Yicheng: “Are you angry?”
Xu Chenghao retorted, “What do you think?”
Jing Yicheng: “Are you angry with me for her sake? I am the one protecting little yellow duck. She’s the one who harmed it. Shouldn’t you be upset with her instead?”
Xu Chenghao sighed, trying to be patient, “Little yellow duck is a plant. No life is at stake.”
Jing Yicheng retorted: “Yes, you once considered Little Yellow Duck more important than life itself. When you compare life to legs, what’s the difference?”
Surprisingly, Xu Chenghao had no words to refute, “I…”
Jing Yicheng looked at him seriously, “The comparative value of things has always been measured by one’s own heart. It depends on which way your heart leans… And regardless of you or me, we should prioritize Little Yellow Duck!”
Xu Chenghao couldn’t come up with a single rebuttal. In the end, he silently lifted the Little Yellow Duck flower pot, found the pouting side, and fiercely slammed it against Jing Yicheng’s head!
Jing Yicheng became dazed from being smashed and covered his forehead in disbelief, “You hit me? You hit me for hurting Zhuo Meixue who hurt the little yellow duck?”
Xu Chenghao pointed to the pouty mouth of Little Yellow Duck, smiling, “This is a kiss of love, not a hit.”
Jing Yicheng felt wronged, “This is not!”
Xu Chenghao: “Why not? Have I ever used Little Yellow Duck to hit someone else?”
Jing Yicheng was at a loss for words.
Xu Chenghao used his twisted logic to counter him, “Little Yellow Duck is so important to me that I never use it to hit people. So, you could say this is an exclusive Little Yellow Duck-style kiss just for you, right?”
Jing Yicheng: “…”
Speechless.
Seeing Jing Yicheng looking frustrated, Xu Chenghao felt a bit satisfied. Holding the Little Yellow Duck flower pot, he bypassed Jing Yicheng and headed outside.
Jing Yicheng followed behind, “As long as you say you’re not angry, I’ll take you to see Zhuo Meixue.”
Xu Chenghao didn’t even turn his head: “You’re dreaming.”
Jing Yicheng brought the topic back again, “Are you angry with me because of her? Could it be that you think she’s the most important!”
Xu Chenghao: “I’m just upset with the way you handled the situation!”
Jing Yicheng followed him in silence, and after a while, he said softly, “I have never claimed to be a good person.”
Xu Chenghao suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Jing Yicheng stared at his back and said, “Do you think I handle things too aggressively, too recklessly, like a madman without reason, and as inhuman as a lunatic?”
“Yes, it’s true that I am a madman, a lunatic without humanity. However, I never actively provoke others. All my reactions are based on others provoking me first!”
“Like you obstructing me from the beginning, like Ruan Chenxuan opposing me, like An Rouyu giving me that candy and saying she wants to leave home and never come back, like Zhuo Meixue drugging me and intentionally spilling alcohol all over me, harming Little Yellow Duck!”
“I’m just passively resisting, but my resistance is much stronger, and I’ve always liked to eradicate problems at the root!”
Jing Yicheng stared at Xu Chenghao, who still hadn’t turned around, and said calmly, “I spent the first twenty-five years of my life like this, and I don’t plan to change it. If you want to break ties with me because of this, I have no objections.”
Xu Chenghao turned to look at him, thinking that someone with such a calm tone must be very tough. However, when his gaze met Jing Yicheng’s slightly reddened eyes, he felt a bit shocked and soft-hearted. He said helplessly, “Who said anything about cutting ties with you?”
Jing Yicheng: “You’re angry, saying I’m dreaming and leaving so quickly!”
Xu Chenghao, both angry and amused, said, “Being angry is not the same as cutting ties. It’s normal for any relationship to have ups and downs, right? Besides, I was upset because I thought your approach was wrong. I was worried about you, and then you suddenly mentioned cutting ties. Did you really want to cut ties?”
Jing Yicheng denied quickly, “No, I didn’t!”
Xu Chenghao: “Then why did you say that?”
Jing Yicheng stayed silent for two seconds and whispered, “I’m scared.”
Xu Chenghao widened his eyes in surprise, not expecting Jing Yicheng to show weakness to him. He exclaimed, “You… I haven’t scared you; what are you scared of?”
Jing Yicheng: “Are you scared then? If I promise not to harm you now, would you believe me?”
Xu Chenghao looked into his eyes, softened, and said, “Not scared. I believe you.”
In the plot, he was far crazier than the current him, and Xu Chenghao, having experienced those, was not afraid of the currently vulnerable villain. His response was sincere and without hesitation.
Jing Yicheng tried to control his expression, but in the end, he couldn’t help but smile, “You mean it!”
Xu Chenghao nodded. “Yes, I mean it. But tell me, what are you afraid of?”
Jing Yicheng looked puzzled. “I don’t know, just afraid of you…” Afraid of you leaving me! Jing Yicheng widened his eyes suddenly, startled by his own genuine thoughts.
Xu Chenghao, observing his reaction, almost burst into laughter. “What kind of talk is this, and what kind of reaction is that? Have I scared you?”
Jing Yicheng’s heart pounded, and he almost didn’t hear what Xu Chenghao was saying. He just repeated, “I’m just afraid!”
“Shut up!” Xu Chenghao said, then turned to walk away. After taking a few steps, he remembered something, turned back, and walked up to Jing Yicheng, grabbing his wrist and pulling him along.
Jing Yicheng’s eyes lit up for a moment, and he couldn’t help but lift the corners of his lips. “Aren’t you angry anymore?”
Xu Chenghao said impatiently, “Do you really want me to be angry?”
Jing Yicheng spoke quickly: “No!”
Xu Chenghao snorted coldly and took two more steps before saying, “Whether angry or not, I still hope that you will handle things in a more formal manner in the future.”
Jing Yicheng: “However, I possess a legally registered firearm for self-defense. The institute explicitly states that, under special circumstances to protect its talents, one can carry a firearm for self-defense.”
Xu Chenghao: “…Isn’t this situation special enough?”
Jing Yicheng: “She spilled drugged wine on me. What if it’s poisonous? This can be considered as obtaining an antidote. Besides, I’ve been lenient by not reporting her to the Department of Protection.”
Xu Chenghao: “…”
No wonder Jing Yicheng was so confident and fearless. He had planned his retreat long ago, executing everything in a very secure area. Truly the ultimate boss villain! Xu Chenghao had been deceived by his disguise recently. Jing Yicheng was not some naive troublemaker; he was the villain in the storyline! The same gloomy, paranoid, ruthless, and eccentric villain!
As for Zhuo Meixue, when Xu Chenghao and Jing Yicheng arrived at the clinic, she had just been wheeled out of the operating room. Due to the anesthesia, she hadn’t regained consciousness yet. Her face was pale and both legs were in casts.
Xu Chenghao stood outside the hospital room, looking through the window at the people inside. He whispered, “How do you plan to handle the aftermath?”
Jing Yicheng stood behind him, but his gaze lingered on Xu Chenghao’s profile. “No need to handle anything.”
Xu Chenghao: “Just like that?”
Jing Yicheng: “Just like that. I said it was legal self-defense. If she complains, a department will intervene to investigate what drug she used, what her intentions were, who instructed her, whether there are rebellious activities at home, and so on.”
Xu Chenghao: “…Zhuo Meixue is really in a tough situation.”
Jing Yicheng said calmly, “I don’t think so. If she wasn’t greedy for vanity, she wouldn’t have been manipulated by Ruan Chenxuan. If she were a bit more sensible, she wouldn’t have provoked me. But she’s ambitious without foresight, so she can only bear the consequences.”
Suddenly, Xu Chenghao turned to him. “Speaking of which, Ruan Chenxuan…”
Jing Yicheng instinctively averted his gaze, clearing his throat. “His character has never been good. He suffered this time, and I’ll make sure to pay him back.”
Xu Chenghao frowned. “Try to restrain your dangerous thoughts.”
Jing Yicheng displeasedly said, “Can’t restrain them.”
Xu Chenghao advised, “You know, people with social anxiety tend to have a misanthropic tendency. I’m worried you might be influenced.”
Jing Yicheng absentmindedly rubbed the callus on his thumb, whispering, “Not feeling misanthropic1It just means antisocial. right now.”
Xu Chenghao was surprised. “You’ve improved?”
Jing Yicheng denied, “No.”
Xu Chenghao: “Then why?”
Jing Yicheng opened his mouth to speak, but the words suddenly choked in his throat. Subconsciously, he averted his gaze and said, “It’s nothing.”
“Alright.” Xu Chenghao noticed that Jing Yicheng didn’t want to talk about it, so he gave up on further questioning and continued to focus on Zhuo Meixue in the hospital room, trying to remember her current appearance to shape the initial image of the villain– he couldn’t be deceived again! Absolutely cannot be deceived!
When Xu Chenghao stopped asking, Jing Yicheng couldn’t help but feel regretful. He stared at Xu Chenghao’s profile, looking quite frustrated. Clearly, he could speak openly and straightforwardly with An Rouyu. Why did he feel so nervous and tongue-tied in front of Xu Chenghao?
What he wanted to say… What he wanted to say was because this world has you!
Jing Yicheng, behind Xu Chenghao, was filled with regret and self-reproach, unaware that Xu Chenghao was staring at the reflections on the glass, watching all the different expressions on his face.
What’s going on with this kid…
No, he’s the villain! Not a bear child! Not a bear child!!!
T/N: This is an early New Year’s gift! For those wondering when I’ll start updating, it’ll be next week on Thursday~ Happy New Year in advance!!
